Armed pro-Russian separatists stand guard as monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and members of a Malaysian air crash investigation team inspect the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, near the village of Rozsypne, Donetsk region in this July 22, 2014 file photo. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

THE HAGUE (AFP) - Dutch air crash investigators have announced that they will release a preliminary report next Tuesday into what brought down flight MH17 over east Ukraine, killing 298 passengers.

"The preliminary report will present factual information based on sources available to the Dutch Safety Board (OVV)," investigators said in a statement.

The highly-anticipated first report will be released on the OVV's website at 10:00 am (4pm Singapore time) but there will be "no press conference," it said.

"In the months to come further investigation is needed before the final report is written," added the OVV, which earlier said it hoped to have a final report "within a year."

The Netherlands is in charge of probing the crash of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 which exploded over strife-torn Ukraine on July 17, killing all on board, including 193 Dutch citizens.

The West has blamed Russian-backed separatists for shooting down MH17, while Moscow blames Kiev.

Air crash investigators returned to The Hague from Ukraine in early August without being able to visit the crash site, due to the deteriorating security situation in the country's volatile east.

Ukranian air crash experts - who now form part of the OVV team - did however visit the scene shortly after the crash.

The aircraft's black boxes have been shipped to Farnborough in Britain to be examined by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

The search for body parts, however, has been suspended since early August due to heavy fighting between Kiev and pro-Moscow rebels in the area.